Animals
by jam821
Summary: A storm rolls in that night. Post Knockdown.
1. Chapter 1

_Post Knockdown. NSFW.  
_

* * *

A storm rolls in that night.

A storm to match his mood. Angry. Booming. Thunder shakes windowpanes, lightning slashes through the sky. Fat raindrops soak him to the bone as he prowls, walking it off, hands clenched into fists, shoved deep in his coat pockets as he fights the memory.

The touch of her lips, the sound of her moan, the smell of her skin. He growls at it all, hunching his shoulders and dipping his head low.

He'd kissed her to fool the guard but he'd only ended up fooling himself.

He knows how he feels, knows how much he wants her, possibly loves her. What he didn't know was that she wanted him back. Didn't know until she'd pulled away, eyes hazy and aroused before she dove back in, fiercely gripping his shoulders, pressing her whole body against his.

And then she was gone just like that. Guard down, obstacle removed, moment lost.

Then Hal Lockwood had pointed a gun at her head. Fucking Hal Lockwood thought he could take her out with a single bullet to the brain.

Hell no.

 _"Thank you. For having my back in there."_

He will. Always. Even when she goes home without him, even when she ignores the sparks between them.

Even when she still chooses Josh over him.

He'll always stand by her.

Partners.

He bumps into another pedestrian in his distraction, the guy's "watch it, buddy," shaking Castle loose from his inner brooding.

"Sorry," he mumbles, looking up to catch sight of a street sign.

He recognizes the building next to him instantly, has walked past it a million times before, and he really isn't surprised his feet have carried him back without any conscious thought.

Drawn to her in every way, moth to flame, he can't get away, can't shut it down.

Or maybe he could have, maybe before, but not now.

Not now he's held her close. Not now he's tasted her.

He craves it again. Like the blood of a fresh kill, his need for her is all consuming, burning him from the inside out.

She's there in the window when he looks up. Solemn. Still as a statue. Another bolt of lightning strikes, the flash illuminating her face as she stands turned toward the stormy skies.

She doesn't see him, doesn't know he's watching, and he thinks it should feel wrong. It should feel voyeuristic. But instead he just feels...more. More of everything.

More angry, more maddeningly frustrated, more protective. He points his nose up, a whiff of her scent floating in the wind, and he breathes her in, closing his eyes with the force of it.

It changes suddenly, deeper, darker, an unattainable longing he's been denied up until this point, but no more.

No more.

His gaze snaps back to her figure in the window, and his lips part in a brutal grin. He's done letting her run from this, from them.

* * *

He kissed her. She kissed him.

They kissed.

Dusting her fingers over her lips, she closes her eyes, lost in the memory. She's still rattled from the rest of the day, exhausted and wrung out from fighting with Josh again, but there's a buzz under the surface of her skin.

The steady thrum of need coursing through her, keeping her awake, her senses heightened, her heart racing. She wants him.

Castle.

Josh had been here when she'd finally gotten home, a surprise that had been anything but pleasant. It hadn't taken him long to figure out she was distracted and why.

"Castle. Castle. It's always Castle. I can't be in a one sided relationship. I'm done, Kate."

Probably for the best. She'll never love him like he'd wanted or deserved.

Her eyes fly open at the three sharp raps on her front door, and she turns away from the window, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, heart racing in anticipation.

Only one person knocks like that.

Sure steps take her to the door, steady fingers flipping each lock until she can swing it wide open, her suspicions confirmed when she sees him there in the hallway.

One bandaged hand is planted against the door frame, the other shoved into the front pocket of his jeans, and damn he looks good. Except...

"You're wet."

He grunts something that could be a laugh before his blue eyes land on her, the intensity surprising.

And arousing.

"It's raining," he says, stepping into the apartment, one hand landing on her hip as the other slams the front door closed, and she rolls her eyes. Duh.

His palm burns through her old t-shirt, the cotton so worn and thin that it might as well not even be there for all the barrier it's providing, but she pushes it down, his touch and what it's doing to her, shoving him away as she spins on her heel.

"What are you doing here?"

He advances despite her actions, tracing her steps as she walks to the kitchen. She grabs the kettle from the stove top, halfway through filling it with water when she feels him step up behind her.

"I think you know, Kate," he growls in her ear, the rough sound sending a shiver down her spine.

Setting the kettle in the sink before she drops it, she spins around, her gaze forced up due to her lack of shoes. He towers over her like this, the breadth of his chest making her feel small, protected, like she could curl up against him, hide from the rest of the world.

"I broke up with Josh."

It's not what she'd intended to say, hadn't planned on telling him at all, but now it's out there. She's set the truth free, and she doesn't regret it.

His eyes flash with the knowledge, and that makes her brave, makes her think that maybe, just maybe, they can make this work.

"I'm not sorry. He's not what you need."

"Oh, really? And what is it that I need?" she asks, confidence forcing her spine straight until her body slightly brushes his.

He plants both hands on the counter behind her, leaning in so their noses are barely an inch apart, and she fights the temptation to close the distance, to give in before he says it.

"You know. I know too."

"Mmm. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Don't tempt me, Kate Beckett. I answer that question and there's no going back."

He's so close she can feel the rumble of his words in his chest, the puff of air across her face, and she pushes into him, aligning them from head to toe as she whispers against his lips.

"Answer me."

Her back slams into the concrete counter, his hips pressing her into it, into him, and she lifts one leg around his thigh, her other knee weakening when he pins her just right. The taste of him is dizzying, his tongue invading, possessing, without the hesitation from earlier, and it's perfect. It's exactly what she's been craving since the moment he stopped her from grabbing her gun tonight.

Oh, who is she kidding? She's been lusting after him since the moment they met, since the moment she first saw his photo on the back of one of her mom's old books.

Richard Castle.

And now he has one hand up the back of her shirt, the other gripping the meat of her thigh, tugging her impossibly closer, and she can hardly breathe. He drops both hands to her ass, lifting her up to the counter before he rips her shirt clean off, buttons scattering everywhere.

"Hey!"

"I'll buy you a new one," he grunts into the soft spot under her ear, touching his tongue to her skin as he pops the clasp on her bra and tosses the plain garment to the side.

She groans when he cups her breasts, squeezing and pinching her nipples in time with nips of his teeth, and she rolls her hips, desperate for some sort of friction, for more of him. Always more of him.

Her hands move of their own volition, popping one button at a time until she can get to the skin of his chest. He shrugs his wet shirt off, the temporary loss of his touch making her whine in a way she'll completely deny later.

He wraps both arms around her waist, scooting her closer to the edge of the counter until she's balancing precariously, forced to twine her legs around him. His grip is strong when he takes her weight completely, his mouth coming back to find hers as they move through her apartment.

"Bedroom. Back - oh fuck, Castle - back that way."

She shudders and stutters trying to direct him, but her brain has turned to mush with his hands everywhere, his mouth in places she's only imagined. And it's so much better than she'd imagined.

He bumps into a wall, the surprise tightening his grip on her to the point of bruising, and she gasps, the sharp jolt of pain absolutely doing it for her.

"I'm sorry, Kate."

He releases her immediately, both her legs dropping to the floor before she collapses, and the rush of cool air shocks her back to reality. The inch of space he's put between them the exact opposite of what she wants.

"No. No. Don't…" She grips his belt loop, tugging him back until he rests his hands on her waist. "Don't stop. It's good. I liked it."

"Fuck. Kate." He buries his face in her neck, pushing her against that same wall as he licks a path across her collarbone, biting hard on the edge of bone, and she feels it straight to her core. "You can't say shit like that and expect me to keep it together."

Keep it together? No. She doesn't want that, doesn't want soft and hesitant and gentle. Fuck she broke up with her boyfriend because she wanted the passion and ferocity she's caught a glimpse of tonight. She wanted more of the fire Castle had lit, more of something she'd never had, never would have had, with Josh.

"Don't keep it together. Let it go, Castle."

She reaches for him, puts one palm against his cheek while the fingers on her other hand comb through the flop of hair on his forehead. It's a tenderness she didn't mean to show, but now it's out there, and the dazed, happy expression on his face is totally worth it.

She kisses him hard, slicks her tongue against his as she snakes her hand down to his pants, cupping him through the rough denim. He jerks against her touch, hissing, and she waits for his eyes to meet hers.

"I want you, Rick."

* * *

He groans, her words doing him in. He's a word man, language such an intricate part of his life that he can't help but be affected by it. And those words from her mouth? Well, he'd honestly thought he'd never be here, never be this lucky, and to hear her say it, unashamed and eager, absolutely destroys him in the best way.

He needs her naked _now_.

Dropping to his knees, he traces the line of her bare waist, touching his lips to the smooth stretch of skin between her navel and her jeans. He feels the quiver of her muscles, smiles into her skin as his gaze drifts up to find hers focused solely on him, her eyes dark and feral.

He pops the button on her pants, tugging them down her thighs and tossing them to the side until there's nothing but a thin scrap of lace separating him from what he wants. Trailing his fingers up the backs of her legs, he tucks each thumb under the elastic of her thong, pressing his nose to the hollow of her right hip.

He can smell her. The heady, musky scent of her arousal hangs heavy in the air, and he breathes it in knowing he'll absolutely never get enough of this. Of her.

Her hips dance under his ministrations, the muscles in her thighs quivering each time he breathes out, and he opens his mouth over the fabric barrier, touching his tongue to the wetness seeping through. He moans at the first taste of her, the tangy flavor working over his taste buds, and he feels her hands comb through his hair, tugging at the strands until he looks up at her.

"Castle, if you don't start touching me in the next two seconds I'm going to kick you out and take care of it myself."

"Patience, Kate," he chuckles, delighted by the breathy tone of her voice and the glare that he assumes was supposed to affect him in some way. "It may come as quite shock to you, but there are some presents I prefer to…" he pauses to nip the line of skin where her thigh disappears beneath her underwear and breathes the last word into her, "savor."

Kate groans what he thinks might be acceptance as she thumps her head back against the wall, her fingers never losing their grip on his hair. But he doesn't mind. It feels nice, having her close, directing him, and he gives her what she wants, finally removing that miniscule bit of lace and dragging his tongue between her folds.

"Oh, god, Castle."

Hearing her say it feeds right into the jealousy and anger he'd been trying to get away from before he'd ended up here, and he can't stop the grin. He gets to be the one doing this to her, teasing her, pleasing her, and Josh is not.

Castle is a lucky bastard and he has no plans to waste this opportunity.

He licks another long line through her center, scraping his teeth over her sensitive skin, and her whole body shivers in response, her legs widening to allow him better access. Dipping two fingers into her, he finds that rough spot on her front wall and massages it slow and dirty. She shudders, lifting her right leg to bend over his shoulder, dragging him closer, and he latches onto her clit, sucking and nipping in time with the movement of his fingers until she's crying out, her nails digging into his skull as her climax rolls through her body.

Her left knee gives out, and he catches her, easing her to the floor as she comes down from the high, her green eyes watching him with satiation and a hint of mischief.

She leans toward him, her nose nuzzling his, and his eyes flutter closed.

"Castle?"

"Hmm?"

He's lost in her, the whisper of her voice, the warm puff of her breath, and the gentle touch of her hands on his thighs, keeping her balanced while she nibbles on his ear.

"Your pants are soaked and ruining my wood floors."

"Oh, shit."

His eyes fly open at that, reality crashing back in as he jumps up, but he pauses when he hears her quiet chuckle. She stands, graceful, unashamed, and trails one fingernail down his bare chest, allowing it to catch on the waistband of his jeans.

"Maybe you should take these off, throw them in the dryer, and meet me in bed."

And then she's gone, gloriously naked and strutting down the hallway to what must be her bedroom. He stands there, thoroughly distracted by the sway of her hips until she stops in the doorway, turning her head to peek over her shoulder.

"Today, Castle."

* * *

 _Look out for part two soon-ish. Thanks for reading. xo_

 _K &J, all the love for you both. _


	2. Chapter 2

Holy fuck.

Kate collapses face first on her bed, both hands over her eyes and her body still buzzing. She's having sex with Castle.

Good sex. Fucking amazing sex. What that man can do with his tongue…

Holy fuck.

She laughs into her pillow, kicking both feet in the air at the ridiculousness of this day. The emotional rollercoaster should probably be having more of an impact than it currently is, but she just can't be bothered to care while her heart is still racing, her body still weeping for him. A couple hours from now it'll probably settle on her like a ton of bricks, but at this moment she's actually... giddy.

That's probably the exhaustion and the post-orgasm haze talking.

"Don't kick me in the face, Beckett."

The heat of his palm appears on the inside of her right foot followed closely by the scrape of his teeth over her ankle bone, and she gasps. It's erotic; the touch, the wet warmth of his breath, and she feels goosebumps race across her skin.

Giddy excitement melts away into something deeper, a richness zipping through her veins, arousal pooling low in her belly. His hand continues up the inside of her leg while his mouth chases on the outside. He stops at her knee, sinking his teeth into the tendon, and she can't stop the moan, her hips grinding into the mattress in search of any sort of friction.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've admired your ass?" He growls the question into her flank, his unbandaged hand coasting flat over her cheek, and she squirms in his grip. "In those skin tight jeans I'm convinced you wear just for me. When you stand at the whiteboard, spouting theories and facts. It takes everything I have to pay attention."

"Fuck. Castle."

He licks a path at the base of her spine, his fingers tripping up the ladder of her rib cage. The intensity of him envelops her the higher he moves, the more his body covers hers. She can feel him hard and pulsing against her ass, feel his nose digging into the place where her neck meets her shoulder while both his hands coast along her arms, pushing them up over her head until she can grasp the bottom of the headboard, a rhythmic clench and unclench of her fists helping to draw some of the desperate tension away from her core.

Kate is stretched from head to toe, her breasts flattened against the mattress beneath his perfect weight, and he drops kiss after kiss around her scapula as his fingers skate back down, tracing a feather soft pattern across her skin.

She shivers with it, her nerve endings so sensitive the more he teases, until she's going out of her mind with need.

He shifts his weight, moving until he's no longer covering her and she absolutely does _not_ whimper at the loss of him, but he chuckles anyway, putting slight pressure on her hip.

"Turn over, Kate."

* * *

There's no hesitation when she does as he's said, just a quick twist leaving her fully exposed, her nipples erect from the chill of the room, her thighs parted and relaxed. Castle's mouth waters at the sight of her so open.

Open for him.

He'd fantasized about this moment more times than he'd care to admit, but to have her here, to have the real thing… His fantasies couldn't possibly live up to this.

Castle props his head up with one hand, using the other to cup her cheek, nudging her head so he can see her eyes. Her pupils are blown, dark in the low light of her bedroom. He traces a fingertip down the slope of her nose, watching her lashes flutter in the proximity, and then drops to her lips, dipping the digit inside just enough to feel the lick of her tongue.

He shudders, groaning at the scrape of her teeth when he withdraws, blood rushing south at the thought of her mouth around him, of giving himself over so completely. But that particular activity can wait for another day.

Because there will be another day.

He continues drawing a path down, just below her ear where the steady thump of her heart is visible beneath her pale skin. Pausing over the beat, he counts _one, two, three_ reveling in the fact that she's still here, that Lockwood, the dragon, whoever the fuck is chasing her, didn't win tonight.

Not tonight, and not ever. Not if Castle has any say in it.

Choosing to release the what ifs, he focuses instead on right now. On the curse she releases when he trails between the soft mounds of her breasts, circling one nipple and then the other.

She mewls, her body stretching like a cat in the lazy summer sun. It rushes through him, instinct and need colliding, and he replaces his fingers with his mouth, catching her when she arches off the bed.

So sensitive, so damn responsive.

She's going to be the death of him.

"God, Castle. I-"

He cuts her off with a fierce kiss, sliding his tongue deep against hers, because he knows, he _knows_ that she can't take anymore, that he can't either. He's desperate to feel her contract around him for the first time.

The first time but not the last.

Her leg wraps around him, the warmth of her skin against his bare ass, and he reaches down, gripping the meat of her thigh to tug it higher while he slips against her, inside her. She meets him stroke for stroke, kiss for kiss, and it's everything and nothing he thought it would be.

It's not quick. It's not frenzied or uncontrolled. Instead, they take it easy, rocking and swaying with the steady waves of arousal. He takes it one moment at a time, exploring the way an angle change amps her up, the way a touch on her cheek startles her eyes back open, her gaze shooting to meet his.

He catalogues every reaction, studies her the way he has for years, and it feels right. Like coming home.

Reaching for her hand, he links their fingers together and plants the resulting fist into the mattress beside her head. She squeezes, her grip tight enough to bruise, and he drives deeper, harder in response.

The sinful groan she releases, her body pulsing and shaking with climax, does him in, and he buries his face in the slope of her neck, his open mouth against her skin, smelling her, tasting her as he releases all control.

Drained, completely and utterly depleted, he drops to the mattress, angled just enough to land beside her.

"Kate. Kate, Kate, Kate."

She giggles, honest to god giggles, and he peels one eye open, needing to see it. Her cheeks are perfectly flushed, her eyes sparkling when she turns to look at him, and he grins, rolling to his back and basking in the burst of cool air against his overheated skin.

* * *

"Castle," she answers, shifting to fit up next to him, her nose nudging his cheek, her lips flirting with the line of his jaw. He's a little rough around the edges, stubble scraping as she moves, but he's also soft, comfortable.

Safe. He makes her feel safe.

He grunts when she scratches her nails over his ribs, batting her hand away from what must be a tickle spot, and she hides her smile in his shoulder. Not sure why, just that she always has hidden them from him.

His fingers coast over her cheek, threading through the disheveled mess of her hair. He dusts a kiss over her forehead, stilling, breathing slow and steady, and she closes her eyes, resting against him.

For once, she's just resting for the sake of it.

Because she's drained from dealing with Lockwood, from saving the boys' asses, from a gun fight, from the end of her relationship. And because she feels good.

He makes her feel good.

"You were right."

Her eyes pop open at that and she adjusts so she can see his face. Castle's fingers tangle and twist in her hair, his palm cupping the back of her neck as he gently scratches her scalp.

"I had no idea."

Kate barks out a laugh at that, the memory of their first case, the words she whispered in his ear just because she knew it would drive him crazy. Back then it was just that. Annoyance, frustration, and irritation all channeled into what could have been an explosive one time act of animalistic lust.

But now. Now it's still those things, he's still those things, but he's also sweet, loyal, selfless, and dedicated in a way she'd never expected, and he's turned that lust into a deep seeded _want_ that she'd tried so hard to ignore.

"Me either," she mumbles, grinning when he chuckles, the low rumble vibrating through the palm she still has on his chest.

She stretches her fingers, dragging her nails across his pecs until he shivers. Sliding her leg over his hips, she lifts up to straddle him, rubbing and dragging herself against him and gasping when he grips her hips, stilling her movement.

"And, Castle?"

He groans, beginning to stir for her again, and she leans down, nibbling on his earlobe.

"We're just getting started."

* * *

 _Thanks for taking the time to read and leave your thoughts. Until next time._


End file.
